A top DC lobbying firm, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, has registered to remove an Iranian group from the State Department’s list of terrorist organizations. (The Hill)

Lobbyists are buzzing around the Hill in anticipation of a tax reform battle this session, but some policymakers and senior staff doubt that such a reform is on the agenda. (The Hill)

Campaign Finance

Despite the Democratic National Committee’s policy against accepting donations from registered lobbyists, other national committees – both Democrat and Republican – take in millions. (Open Secrets)

Opinion: Regarding President Obama’s draft executive order seeking to require disclosure of federal contractors’ political donations, Michael Waldman writes that, “The president should ignore the howls and act to impose some modest measure of accountability on the new world of secret campaign cash.” (Politico)

Access to Information

The FCC has taken steps to require electronic filing for ex parte disclosure, and to expand public and staff access to the records that influence the Commission’s decision-making process. (FCC)

Just for fun… Boing Boing has published the National Security Agency’s style manual, obtained through a FOIA request.

Opinion: A New York Times Editorial says that in regards to Schindler Elevator Corp. v. United States ex rel. Kirk, “Justice Thomas’s opinion is wrong about the text, context and history of the law.”

Government

The White House has released an executive order seeking to cut costs and government waste. The order establishes a Government Accountability and Transparency Board to achieve increased accountability, efficiency, and transparency. (White House)

OMB sent a plan on restructuring the federal agencies to President Obama last Thursday. (Federal Computer Week)

Billions of tax dollars are unaccounted for due to a lack of government oversight regarding federal counter-narcotics contracts. (Federal Times)

The Hidden Budget: Tax Expenditures. The Advisory Committee on Transparency (a project of the Sunlight Foundation). 2:00pm. RHOB 2203. We hope to see you all there! If you can’t make it, video of the event will be posted here later this week.